I haven't installed JP amps, but underrated 900w 1ohm stable on the 5th channel? Wow. Its dimensions are a bit big for some installs, but wow I need to get setup with D4S.
I have a dilemma. I am trying to choose between the the first amplifiers your mentioned. The jp23v2. Or the nvx xad15. I know the main difference is half bridge vs full bridge. Do you have anything to say about that topic? My priority is best sound quality for the lowest frequencies possible. Want full immersive output as low
I bought a jp95, silver one, on black friday 2023. All new install. (silver flute speakers, vifa tweeters, dayton crossovers. morel 2" mids for the front doors 3 way on a bmw e39. wired correct, less than 18" of ofc power wire with fuse.) first impression, I thought my vifa 019 tweeters were terrible. The best way to describe it , its like you turned the highs way down , or if there was a "loud" button that did the inverse of most loud buttons. On top of that the noise floor hiss was intense to say the least. (Never buy a clear amp, clear plastic lets all interference right through to the board, letting it act as a antenna for noise. ) I had no sub yet. after one month was given a 8ohm punch p1 in a sealed box. hooked it up (150watts rms) less than half gain, playing grateful dead at low volume, The sub channel played for 90 seconds before the amp started to smoke. turned it off, but the sub channel was done. (mosfet melted) I dont trust the amp , so i wont use it for highs, with a blown sub amp doing who knows what to my electrical system from a channel i cant turn off. I swapped to 2 sony xmgs4 each bridged for highs , a old Memphis 500 watt mono I already had for the sub. I was blown away at the sound difference from my mids/highs. My tweeters are great, all the speakers exceeded expectations. NO noise floor. I think it would be called the slew rate that has to do with higher frequency / noise that the jp95 has? Is a jp any good for subs, sure? (if it works) ... highs , not so much. the jp95 channel 3 and 4 bridged sounded fine testing on the 12 inch sub. I have not tried to get it replaced, I would never use it after testing it out a to b vs. any other amp I tested ( a old 35 watt alpine, a new pioneer 5 channel , or the sony xmgs4 ) jp makes the power, but its lacking highs in a to b testing. worth a mention also, the Jp95 bleed signal between channels when testing. (say drums are only on the right side, you can hear them come through on the left side.) Doing the same thing to my sony, It stays separated. If I could do it all over I would have bought a used mmats 6150 for similar money in a much smaller package.
I have said it before no one would hate Boss if they just told the truth. The amps themselves are solid. They are a solid 1000 watts not 3000 watts. If JP put out a 5000 watt amp but claimed 20,000 folks would call them junk too.
I agree. Call it a 500 watt amp, and then if it dinos at 550 every one thinks you're amp is awesome. Call that same amp 3000 watt amp and everybody hates you.
The truth goes along way when people are spending there hard earned money. Most the time guys an gals on a tight budget can't afford to be lied to an deceived.
Not if the jp amp were sold at the boss price level. Lol 5k amp for 250$ or less. they would be considered legends. in the amp world. to true bass heads. Just a opinion 💯🎶👍✌️😉
Been doing car audio for 30 plus years you're going to love this one a customer said he has a 100 watt fuse under the hood and wants to put a 200 watt fuse so is amplifier will double in power😂😂😂
One important number just as important as power or wattage in an amplifier is the "Signal to Noise Ratio". Look for an amplifier with an "SNL" of 90 dB or greater. This ensures a clear and clean signal for your speakers. 50 clear watts in a car generally is quite good for any vehicle as most OEM standard stereos are around 15 watts per channel. Big improvement. These are very good recommendations and doubt anyone will end up disappointed. Great video.
If there was a well established standard by which this was measured and regulated by a 3rd party organization I would agree, however, this is just another gamed stat manufactures can make up. For example, if this was a legit # then the Sound Ordnance amps would be the best sounding amplifiers you could get on Crutchfield. All 3 are specified as 100 dB signal to noise. The best JL and RF amps are only specified at 70-80.
A hint to help save $$, while still enjoying quality amplification: Look into "budget" brand marine amplifiers. Since all marine amplifiers must be 3rd party certified and meet minimum standards "budget" brands build comparable amplifier as any other brand to meet marine specifications. And will be the better built amplifiers found in most company brands. Furthermore, marine power cable (always use OFC copper) comes in more variations than car audio at 2 Guage not 4 Guage intervals.
Specs that almost *no one* talks about anymore are slew rate and damping factor. Dynamic headroom is another critical spec. And to me, those numbers are absolutely critical in judging an amp.
I still preach the inportance of slew rate to guys who claim they want a amp for a sq setup. And damping factor i know is supposedly not a factor in todays amp but im still old school and amps i like have a high dampening factor which is why i still love the kenwood KAC-1023 in a sq setup. And you woukd think dynamic headeoom wohld be important to everybody but most dont actually listen to real music to even really care about having reserve power for when the music has say a cannon fire.
Unless it's a crap brand, all the name brand class D amplifiers are going to be so close to each other that efficiency becomes irrelevant, even less so when it's only a 500w amp. 75% vs 80% is simply irrelevant.
@@johnbcardin Not when it's within so few % of each other. 75% vs 85% is simply irrelevant in the grand scheme. You would need to be dealing with 10's of thousands of watts for it to begin to matter and at that point would it really? No, the electrics for such a system wouldn't ever be right on the edge of being just enough, they would always overbuild the electrics for something of that magnitude and 10% difference is irrelevant once again. I don't know what kind of system you can install in a typical EV, but I seriously doubt it comes down to a 10% difference whether or not you can install a certain amount of wattage.
MMATS has consistently produced a good quality product over the years. I currently have a MMATS Hifi4250 and could not be happier with it. I'm just as pleased with it as the day I bought it. ($1,300.00 retail, but I got it used for $90!) 250 × 4 @ 4ohms 400 × 4 @ 2ohms or 800 × 2 bridged 4ohms It is freakishly powerful, yet highly efficient while sounding phenominally great. It made all my othet amps it's bitch
Really solid video. Excellent advice for everyday people looking for excellent advice. My favorite 5ch amp is the Kenwood Excelon 900/5. Very solid performance for a small footprint at a fairly reasonable price.
I’ve been installing for 25 years. I have a Profile California that I have used in various sets for 20 years now. 600 RMS mono. If you do your math. You can do just about anything with budget. I have done installations with class D and they tend to crap out over time. Class AB with a cap, if you need it, works well.
I had actually included some info on Infinity in my script, but cut due to time. They are made by Harmon, who also owns JBL and they badge engineer their car audio. So always compare prices on the two and just buy the one that is cheaper .
I use taramps because of the clip light monitor you can run to the front .I tell people to buy them md 1200 for a stock and they are on a low budget single sub or two 500 rms subs ....now if you want better quality the jp amps because of that reason .. wish other company's would start making a monitor so they can run to the front like these brands ...yeah taramps isn't the best but they work and cheap they will last if took care of .....good video. Grab you a md 1200 and make a video alot of people will be surprised by the output ..
I love Audio Control's ACM-4.300 when going compact, their matching ACM monoblock lacks output so I usually push people in another direction for their sub(s).
Audio Control, Marconi & U.S. Acoustics are just a few audiophile grade companies out there... If I had a brand new MB SLK... I would worry about the highline equipment... RECOIL has some super amps for the moola 👍😎 I concur with the Brazilians too
I recently purchased both the 511 Kenwood and the other Kenwood that matches it in size, both are good sounding and small footprint amps but they do get pretty hot, so I exchanged them for kicker 400 and kicker 3260 whatever the 4 channel is called, they do run cooler and that little cxa400.1 rattles my rearview at 10 o'clock but I do have a epicenter feeding it at 5 volts
What always amazes me is how confused somebody can be over what amp to buy, yet somehow believe they can install it all correctly themselves. If somebody believes they have the ability to install a full system, picking out the gear should be a no brainer.
I was really glad to see Rockford and audio control on that list. Just because there not to many people over advertising them or over hyping there brand name. there also not tons of people sponsored by them but there are lot of people that use them and there really reliable. definitely brands that you get what you pay for. 💪🍻💯🎶🎶👍✌️
If I were to make a list of "good brands" it would be a very long video. I tried to limit myself to ones that I've had personal experience with or brands that stand out for some reason.
And NOT made in China! South Korea instead. China has too large of a black market industry allowing too many fake "copies" out there for sale. And little incentive for workers to "work smarter, harder or longer" since they don't see any more pay for either.
Very informative video. I'm debating between the JL Audio and Audio Controls 6 channel amps. They would be powering Hertz speakers with high sensitivity ratings around 94spl. Thanks
For me, it's (1) size, (2) efficiency, (3) controls, (4) cost that I use to determine the best amplifiers to fit my needs. Which is why I settled on the Alpine PDX series of amplifiers many years ago... :-)
I have two kicker L7 Solo-Baric hooked up with a isolator and two batteries on a 3300 watt hifonics amp what do you what is the best cheap power amp lol in a 92 two door Blazer
Then adjust for efficiency. If you're running at 14.4 volts and you have a 75% efficient amplifier and you've got a multiplier of 10.8, which isn't too far off from 10.
What is your opinion on the old vintage 1990's amps. Like the old Phoenix Gold Titanium with the fans and blue triangle LEDS... I know the new amps are a lot more efficient and smaller but as far as sound quality. I have heard the old amps have a "warmer" or better sound. I do know amps that old often need the caps replaced on the board but was curious you opinion...
D4S only give one measurement for SNR 95db at rated power I'm assuming, I'm not playing my music at full rated power. I'm buying an amp that lists both a measurement at 1 watt and at rated with a more typical 50wpc rms level where I know I will be listening at regularly or pretty close. Without proper testing who knows though.
I'd take a clean 98%s2nratio@500watts than 5000watt@90%S2N.....clean sound with correctly wired and impedance....proper setup@matched components works best!
I have no infotainment system or USB in my car, but it does have speakers. Are there any amps that could connect directly to the speakers of my car or the wire harness and provide charge and AUX through a single USB-C cable to my phone so I can play music? I’ve always used my phone as my infotainment/stereo system anyways so it seems silly for my to buy an infotainment system just so my Amplifier can be plugged into it.
Got a question for you on power draw on different amps for example down4sound JP95t five channel amplifier does this use a lot more power than an NVX vad 11005 five channel lamp Down4 sound amps Seem to be very strong power
The jp95 has the capability to put out a whole lot more power. So it's going to draw more current. A good way to figure it out for yourself is to just look at the fuse rating. If it's got a bigger fuse then it's designed for more current. If you are asking which one's more efficient, I do not know. Between the two I would pick the jp95.
Great video, thanks! How about discussing best practices when adding after market audio gear to electric cars? Every day there is more of these on the road and there are obvious/not-so-obvious things to consider. 😀
If you do that, then suddenly the limitations of EV start becoming very apparent. And worse than audio is the impact of air conditioning on an EV's range - something never talked about. My buddy rented a Tesla for a Ohio to Florida trip and back. The EV added over 5 hours to the trip, one way. Due to the length of time recharging compared to refueling (did you know generators are used to charge EV vehicles?) but he said running the air on high (which you need to do because Tesla's having a plexiglass roof that always allows sun into the cabin) reduced the range of the vehicle by 40 miles or so. It only had the OEM stereo, which wasn't much. But he figured if you upgraded the stereo you'd see another 20-40 miles taken off the range of the vehicle. Apparently, headlights don't seem to impact the range so much he said. Guess they are more efficient. So now, Yeah I'd say you will see car stereo competitions fade away if there are only EV vehicles. To help I'd say make sure to only buy Class D amplifiers if you have an EV vehicle. And be happy with "less stereo" than you can have with combustion engines. Which by the way really don't pollute very much thanks to technology today. Fuel injection and catalytic converters have reduced a car's pollution by like 70-80% from before without those devices. I think EV's and regular cars should be offered and let the consumers decide. Both have pluses and minuses which is why both should be allowed on the road.
? I connected a 1988 MGT 2200 amplifier full range no crossover into two dual coil subwoofers doesn't sound that great is that because subwoofers are only made for low frequencies? This 1988 MGT 2200 amplifier used to push to 15 inch evm back in the 80s and 90s and used to make your nose vibrates should I get a crossover or should I get rid of the subwoofers and add some 12-inch EVMS to my 2014 Silverado I need some sound advice from you sir thank you
Hello, I'm confused between JL JD400/4 or Alpine S2 A36F and both are class D 4 channel amps that i will be buying for my Blam relax component and Coax speakers
Diamond audio 1000.1 extremely efficient and a very high dampening factor.I own 4 of them ...JBL class A 1000.1 same thing i own 2 of them... Efficiency is a key factor for me and my builds
@mikestivers8302 yes diamond audio is still around...I will say there quality in my opinion is not what it used to be but they are still good..I would never pay full price for them but with a good discount u get a really good deal on good equipment
Only thing I would have added is the amperage load from 1000 watts for the stock electrical. Some vehicles have more overhead than others, and if not being used... well you see what I am saying.
How the SQ on the NVX amps for Highs and Mids? I know that there subs and speakers have a great reputation for being SQ . My issue is that I had a NVX 1000.1 amp that turn off pop that I could never get rid of. Eventually I had to replace the amp. Switch to kicker and never had a issue.
@@DIYAudioGuy Had a Alpine no issues. Switch to the NVX BECAUSE I NEEDED 1000 RMS BECAUSE I UPGRADED FROM 110 INCH SUBWOOFER TO TWO Getting turn off pop no matter what I did. I went as far as buying a relay that you can program to turn off what amplifier or what DSP in order before I hooked it up. I found a great deal on an open box kicker, CX1200.1 after that turn off, pop went away Hate to say it, but I just think it’s from a more cheaply made amplifier Sad because the NVX amp I had put out a good clean sound, and definitely did. It’s rated power. But now it makes me question there other amps It makes me question every cheap amplifier out there I know their subs especially the version threes have been getting rave reviews and I wish they made a three-way component system But I think I’ll stick to alpine high resolution amps for mids and highs for now on
Good video! If I have component speakers in my dash, front doors, and rear doors, would it be of any benefit to have each speaker on a separate channel from an amplifier, or would it be fine just to keep the dash and front door speakers on the same channel as they come wired from the factory radio?
You will always benefit with separate channels. When you combine two speakers together, you will have a crossover board that splits the signal and power, which means you have less control of how much power each speaker gets. With separate channels you can adjust the frequency points and gain for each specific speaker in order to tweak it perfectly to your listening preferences.
@@DIYAudioGuy I have all Kicker DS series speakers in my doors and dash. I currently have 3.5” in the dash, 6x9s in the front doors, and 6.5” speakers in the rear doors. I am also running (2) 12” subwoofers under my rear seat. This is in a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. I just swapped out my factory radio for an android radio that has a subwoofer output and a left and right RCA output. I am currently running the dash and door speakers off of the radio and using the subwoofer RCA output to my amp that is powering the subs. Does this help? I’m not sure what else you want to know. I don’t plan on SPL competitions, I just want a nice sounding system that I can crank up the bass when I want. The question stems from the fact that the dash speakers seem to overpower the front door speakers currently and they are ran in parallel to the head unit right now. Would it be better to run them individually off of an amplifier on separate channels?
JBL is great, made by Harmon. Here is a pro tip. Harmon also owns Infinity. So when shopping look to see if the Infinity version is cheaper than the JBL version and vice versa.
I got a kenwood KAC-M5024BT bluetooth amp. and having trouble getting it and the boss 660BTGB stereo in my car working at same time. Can u use bluetooth amps with car stereos?
No, the amp is designed to stream from your phone using bluetooth. It's the kind of feature that you need if you have a classic car and you don't want to change the dash but you need to upgrade the audio. I'm sure someone out there has a way to make it work, but I have no idea what that would be.
@DIYAudioGuy what I don't get is they connect to each thru aux but when I put the head unit is set to AuX, it see that their is music playing on the amp but doesn't play it thru the car speakers.
Also, do you have any thoughts on using a DSP or just having individual channels from amplifiers to each speaker and setting the individual volume levels on the amps to get the sound level you want?
@@DIYAudioGuy in my opinion time alignment isn’t a big issue because you take the speed of sound and the distance it has to travel inside the vehicle. You are talking about a difference of 1/10 of a millisecond. Not distinguishable to the human ear. Not bashing DSP but most people won’t need them unless you’re dealing with many speakers in a huge build you’d see at a spl competition
@@brianwaller7383 Facts, right? People won't like hearing that about DSP because everyone claims to have high fidelity ears these days and can pinpoint every single note of every single instrument being played in the music. LOL! Then, the first thing they do is bust out their phone, connect it to the stereo and start playing mp3's with their tweaked out DSP system.
@@DIYAudioGuy Thanks. I believe I would like to try a DSP with enough outputs to control my speakers individually which would require 6 channels for mids/highs as my door and dash speakers are all coaxial speakers and a separate channel for the subs. Maybe this would make it sound the best.? Any thoughts?
@@JasonWW2000 And here we are, our first crybaby! Brian was talking about time alignment, genius. I know you're ears are practically Vulcan level sensitivity, Mr. 2000, needing audiophile, competition perfection at it's absolute peak, so nobody would ever be able to compete with the level of awesomeness you can achieve in your vehicle with getting that 0.00000001 difference in time alignment so that one little note that changes the song 100000000% from garbage to audiophile level is sure to stand out now that the time alignment has been set to utter perfection.
My point of view is that you don't actually need 1000rms. Well planned and well built 250 rms amp with right sub does the job well afcourse with right tinkering. 1000 rms is more for vans and to show off. Killing your audio and ears is like over coocked meat ( nobody wants it).
@@DIYAudioGuy My old car had a stock system with one "RADIOTEHNIKA S90" as the main bass. 35/90w made a very good boom, but the damn thing was too big for a trunk.🤣
My problem with BOSS and others like them isn't the false numbers as much as their prices don't reflect the actual numbers. You more per watt and that sucks.
Add the fuses then multiply by 10? You should add your fuses then multiply by 14.1 or what ever your alternator is supplying the amp with. That's the max the amp can put out other wise it would blow the fuse. So rms would be way lower.
I am not sure what an e60 is, I think it is a BMW? That is a really big alternator, it has to be big to power all of the luxury car bells and whistles. So even though your alternator can pump out enough juice for a 1,500 watt amp with no problem part of that power is going to be used by the car.
@@DIYAudioGuy Yes its a bmw 5 series ..... the stock sound it's nice but it's not powerful, it has 6 speakers, 4 are for medium-high range and 2 are subwoofers placed under the front seats and i was thinking to upgrade also those speakers and i need a amplifier also
@@smamas114 it sounds like some upgraded speakers and amplification is what you need. You probably need a real subwoofer in the trunk. BMWs are complicated machines I'm going to recommend that you find a local shop that's worked on a 5 series.
I disagree with a few things in this video. First and foremost, not all amps are created equal- even if the spec sheet shows it does. For full range, multichannel amplifiers, the chipsets on board will determine sound quality. Class AB is much less efficient but typically are better sounding than Class D. And brand does matter if you get away from SPL brands.
I do not agree with fuse times 10. Better method is voltage times fuse rating time efficiency of the class of amplifier. Class a ,ab, and d are common along with associated ratings. There is no magic design or devices that will alter efficiency or design rating among classes. Of course than you just oover fuse...
That is a great 5 channel amp. Too many don't have really high output for the sub'(s) realtive to the front/rear channels. This one pumps out all you need, front, back and for the BASS! (and I actually, I do have one of those 3500 watt high end systems). That said, building my grandsons system, this 5 channel would have been nice!
The whole idea behind a 5 channel amp is to have an easy way to install a balanced system. Having extreme bass over the full range is not balanced, it's simply a preference that many people like and so you need to get separate amps to accomplish that.
@@JasonWW2000 WTF are you talking about? I literally said 5 channel amps are an easy way to install a balanced system. If you want extreme bass, usually have to get separate amps for that type of system. What is the problem?
@@marcuslinton310 That's not correct. Balance, as is everything, is relative. Balance and flexibility come from knowing how to utilize what you have to begin with, efficiency matching, etc. You can't have "too much" power when matching subs to the full range speakers but you can definitely have too little. Having 100 to 200 x 4 with smaller drivers that are inherently more efficient (louder relative to bass output) is the easy part. Getting the sub(s) to play up to that level is more dificult, especially in budget/location restricted installs. There are far more significant reason to go with separates when cost and installation limitations are not a factor. You're much more likely to blow a sub trying to get it to play up to the other speakers in the system if you have marginal wattage for the sub channel as opposed to power to spare. When it comes to BASS amplification, more power is always preferable. When practical, your amplifiers should always exceed your speaker ratings (to a degree) in all applications. Having to dumb down the gains on the mains so the subs can keep up is not my idea of balanced ( which is the compromise I usually see in 5 channel amplifiers). This amp gets you there or close without going to separates. The NVX 5 channel would be the next best option unless price is the main concern.
Man I'm having a hell of a time deciding on a new amp. So for the last 12 years I've had my soundstream picasso mono 2000 class D which has consistently powered my soundstream T5-12 dvc 2 ohm subs. I know the pro opinions on soundstream isn't the greatest but that setup has been great for me and bass quality has been impressive atleast to me and everyone I've let hear my system. The only reason I'm in the market is bc over the years my speaker output terminals and power wire input has melted to the point where my connections are quite rigged at this point lol. So I grabbed a soundstream t1.4000d thinking it would be basically the same with a little more power but I have it cranked way up past my normal levels and it just isn't doing it for me. I'm considering grabbing the t1.6000d version which can run .5 ohm stable which in my mind means I can get more power but with the gain up only halfway (based on dyno tests I've seen it will do about 4000 watts at .5 and I only need about half that). My budget right now is about $300 so that one seems like it would be a perfect fit. I'm just bombarded with so many options right now I don't know where to begin. I'm really liking what I'm seeing about wolfram but they're way out of my current price range and seem to be hard to find anyway. I'm just kinda stuck on soundstream just bc they've been the best I've ever had and lasted such a long time. Kind of wishing I bought 4 ohm subs so I could wire to 1 ohm. Running 2 ohm seems to lack the power I need and .5 ohm stable really makes amp options limited and I'm nervous I'm gonna blow some shit running that low even tho the soundstream says it can run it stable. Nothing is really catching my attention or fitting my budget so I just don't know. I'm super rusty on what's what these days all I know is I've never liked Rockford, boss , kicker, Sony, skar looks trashy and JL has always been way overpriced but that opinion is based on pretty much nothing lol. Man IDK 🤷♂️
I recommend the Down 4 Sound amps because they make their power (plus some if your electrical is up to the task), they look awesome, they have a great bass knob, and they are reasonably priced.
I only need to know if i ca use my premium stereo subwoofer for a single for another amp to add another sub. But would also like to keep the 8in 2ohm subwoofer in the stock location. Will a loc work with only one lead from a subwoofer for signal ??? And can i just run a wire from that sub to the loc so i can keep that sub working also ???
It's hard to answer a vehicle specific questions like that. I need to measure the output to make sure that you can do it. Personally I would not try to retain the factory sub, your aftermarket sub is going to be a whole lot better.
@@DIYAudioGuy from what I've learned the stock amplifier is a total of 350w for all 7 speaker's, 2 tweeters, mids an rear deck speakers, plus sub. I've read the kicker loc can take up to 400w. So if I unhook the sub and wired it in the loc it prolly be OK you would think ???
@@JasonWW2000 I've researched the head unit and it looks like it only sends a pos, an negative for front left an right, and rear left and right. It's a 07 honda civic si with navigation premium system. And the amps under my drivers seat. I've heard it runs at 2ohm for all speaker's, but haven't seen that anyway in my research. All tho Crutchfield shows a 2ohm subwoofer replacement for the subwoofer. I was worried it mite affect the high-level input of a amp hence y I considering a loc like kickers with the higher input voltage. Thank you for your response. I've had a hard time finding any info on doing this with a factory subwoofer.
@@JasonWW2000 the subwoofer has no voice coming out from the factory head unit from what I could tell. The head unit has a controller for the subwoofer itself to turn on and off an adjustment for level of how loud I want it. But don't see anything but regular signal going to the amp. Don't see even a control wire for the sub at all going in. I have saved wire diagrams for my whole system I've bin looking at trying to decide how I'd do this. It's bin a long few days and I'm still not 100% shore what to do. Lol 😂
@@JasonWW2000 this car means alot to me and I don't wanna to start a fire doing something stupid. I have some knowledge of car amplifier and such from the 90s as a teen, but things have got alot more advanced and it's not something I've completely learnt completely as a teenager. Lol again THANKS for any help u can give and have gave me already!!!!
There was a time when consumers paid for quality rather than a brand name. Today, quality has become academic, and is no longer practical. Sadly, we have been invaded by MASS-FI, fueled by global deflation. Back in the day, one percent THD was totally acceptable, and it didn't really became annoying until around 2-4% THD. Little do we know today that digital compression of audio, especially lossy formats like mp3, is the norm. You are hard pressed (no pun intended) to find decent vinyl LP albums anymore. And people were screaming "piracy" during the advent of fairly decent cassette tapes. Now we have WAV and lossless FLAC. The only way to _really_ hear music with minimal distortion is in a concert hall. Specs mean little these days, and numbers mean virtually nothing anymore. Take me back... ;(
I will not buy any amp that boasts max power over rms power. And I won’t buy an amp that won’t do rated rams power. I always look at dyno results when deciding which amp to buy.
While it's cool to see dyno numbers on amplifiers, you never really see that in your applications. Big differences between static and resistive loads. After rise and so forth, you never really see rms power except occasionally. I've always used amplifiers with more power on tap than needed.... can always dial it back, but never can make up, for power that sn't there. Good video man.
@@Chuck_Sanders that’s they reason why I look at the uncertified numbers because it rates the power to clipping which most of us set the gains to just below clipping not 1% thd. That’s why I always go for amps that do 500-1000 rms over what the sub is rated for. To account for box rise and voltage drops
hey there, i dont agree with your statament, i am running a 5200W RMS on my Car, 130AMPS Stock alternator and its super solid, no voltage dropps during long periods of time playing as loud as my sistem can, no issues, so in real life the 500w amplifier Limits on Stock Alternator is not a thing, by the way i am running my regular 12v Battery, NO ISSUES !!!, Thanks for the video man, just be more realistic regarding what your saying and proof it, cause i can proof what i am saying for sure, Regards !!
At best your alternator can provide 1872w at 14.4 so unless you have a huge battery bank that you have no volt drops pulling 5200rms on a stock like 90ah battery is total bullshit fyi 5200w/14.4=361.1amp your welcome
If you follow the tips in the video you can easily sus out which brands are garbage. That is far more useful than just memorizing which brands are good vs bad.
Same here, would never buy an amp these days where the bass knob didn't have a clip indicator. I'm starting to think even full range amps need a similar knob that you can mount remotely so you know real time whether or not it's clipping as well.
@@JasonWW2000 Yeah, we know you have spock ears, an audiophile perfectionists who has trained his ears to utter perfection, so nobody will ever match your insane level of audio installation perfection. Not even a computer can match your abilities. All bow to the master of car audio, Jason. We are just piss ant car audio losers who like our pathetic clip indicators because we aren't expert level top audiophile enthusiasts like Jason who can tune to perfection and max out his audio to 99.999999% of it's power simply by his Spock ears after 30 years of training them to perfection. He don't need no stinkin clip lights. LMFAO! Nobody "NEEDS" clips lights, genius, it's just another F'n tool that makes life easier when just cruising down the F'n road and want to blast your stereo and not clip it. Turn the F'n bass knob and if the light hits back it off a tad and you're all set. I know that's just to ghetto for you though, so don't F'n use em and just STFU.
I'm sorry, but maxxsonic amps are not forgiving, I've personally know people. That said one day that got in their car, and nothing, no bad fuse no bad remote lead just nothing. Remember the cheep always comes out expensive. Epsilon and what they did to our great American made amps like ppi crossfire just to name a couple of use to be great amps are over fused trash
These companies sold out. It's cheaper to manufacture stuff overseas. Those brands chose to sell the name to big corps, that merged the brands under conglomerates. I don't care for either, but Epsilon is a better build house. When did Crossfire use Epsilon? I know most of, if not all their amps are Korean. But I haven't really messed with Crossfire in years, except reconing some subs here and there for a few clients. I've seen many of their amps, and they're built quite well.
@@Chuck_Sanders you are absolutely right crossfire is a Korean board,i got the two mixed up because back in the 90's they both had the white heatsink, art series and crossfires flag I meant soundstrem phonex gold. But I can tell you that crossfire is a shadow of it's once former glory
Myth. Only difference in cheap like a taramps is the filters ..now if you have a headunit like a excelon kdc x304 it has the xover built in so you can lower the lpf down lower of need be .....
Cheap amps have poor sound quality because they are cheap amps that can't provide the actual power they claim. A BOSS amp will perform great within it's real actual specs, not it's fake specs. If a BOSS amp says 500 watts and it dyno's at 100... it will likely sound great at 75 watts. Try and push more, it will clip and crap out and likely sound terrible. This is the case with all amplifiers, even name brand. However, the trend these days, is to claim 1,000 watts and push 1,300. It gives everyone a warm fuzzy feeling they are cheating the system when they really aren't, you are still paying for the 1,300. The rule still applies, you try pushing them over 1,300 consistently and bad things start to happen. Play all equipment within proper specs and you'll have a hard time noticing any difference between them all. Everything tends to come down to power handling. How much power do you want and get equipment that handles a bit more then that. You want 2,000 watts, get gear that supports 2,500 and your 2,000 will sound great.
Is this the best amp*? lddy.no/1e9h2
I haven't installed JP amps, but underrated 900w 1ohm stable on the 5th channel? Wow. Its dimensions are a bit big for some installs, but wow I need to get setup with D4S.
I have a dilemma. I am trying to choose between the the first amplifiers your mentioned. The jp23v2. Or the nvx xad15. I know the main difference is half bridge vs full bridge. Do you have anything to say about that topic? My priority is best sound quality for the lowest frequencies possible. Want full immersive output as low
@@jordanfritts7532 I think the JP 23 is a better amp.
I bought a jp95, silver one, on black friday 2023. All new install. (silver flute speakers, vifa tweeters, dayton crossovers. morel 2" mids for the front doors 3 way on a bmw e39. wired correct, less than 18" of ofc power wire with fuse.) first impression, I thought my vifa 019 tweeters were terrible. The best way to describe it , its like you turned the highs way down , or if there was a "loud" button that did the inverse of most loud buttons. On top of that the noise floor hiss was intense to say the least. (Never buy a clear amp, clear plastic lets all interference right through to the board, letting it act as a antenna for noise. ) I had no sub yet. after one month was given a 8ohm punch p1 in a sealed box. hooked it up (150watts rms) less than half gain, playing grateful dead at low volume, The sub channel played for 90 seconds before the amp started to smoke. turned it off, but the sub channel was done. (mosfet melted) I dont trust the amp , so i wont use it for highs, with a blown sub amp doing who knows what to my electrical system from a channel i cant turn off. I swapped to 2 sony xmgs4 each bridged for highs , a old Memphis 500 watt mono I already had for the sub. I was blown away at the sound difference from my mids/highs. My tweeters are great, all the speakers exceeded expectations. NO noise floor. I think it would be called the slew rate that has to do with higher frequency / noise that the jp95 has? Is a jp any good for subs, sure? (if it works) ... highs , not so much. the jp95 channel 3 and 4 bridged sounded fine testing on the 12 inch sub. I have not tried to get it replaced, I would never use it after testing it out a to b vs. any other amp I tested ( a old 35 watt alpine, a new pioneer 5 channel , or the sony xmgs4 ) jp makes the power, but its lacking highs in a to b testing. worth a mention also, the Jp95 bleed signal between channels when testing. (say drums are only on the right side, you can hear them come through on the left side.) Doing the same thing to my sony, It stays separated. If I could do it all over I would have bought a used mmats 6150 for similar money in a much smaller package.
I have said it before no one would hate Boss if they just told the truth. The amps themselves are solid. They are a solid 1000 watts not 3000 watts. If JP put out a 5000 watt amp but claimed 20,000 folks would call them junk too.
I agree. Call it a 500 watt amp, and then if it dinos at 550 every one thinks you're amp is awesome. Call that same amp 3000 watt amp and everybody hates you.
The truth goes along way when people are spending there hard earned money. Most the time guys an gals on a tight budget can't afford to be lied to an deceived.
@@mikellewis2346Yes. Especially for those who actually do the electrical math on paper before spending that cash
Not if the jp amp were sold at the boss price level. Lol 5k amp for 250$ or less. they would be considered legends. in the amp world. to true bass heads. Just a opinion 💯🎶👍✌️😉
Agreed. I kinda like how some of their amps look but you can't trust the ratings.
Been doing car audio for 30 plus years you're going to love this one a customer said he has a 100 watt fuse under the hood and wants to put a 200 watt fuse so is amplifier will double in power😂😂😂
I make videos with the hopes of helping people like that.
One important number just as important as power or wattage in an amplifier is the "Signal to Noise Ratio". Look for an amplifier with an "SNL" of 90 dB or greater. This ensures a clear and clean signal for your speakers. 50 clear watts in a car generally is quite good for any vehicle as most OEM standard stereos are around 15 watts per channel. Big improvement. These are very good recommendations and doubt anyone will end up disappointed. Great video.
Good tip!
If there was a well established standard by which this was measured and regulated by a 3rd party organization I would agree, however, this is just another gamed stat manufactures can make up.
For example, if this was a legit # then the Sound Ordnance amps would be the best sounding amplifiers you could get on Crutchfield. All 3 are specified as 100 dB signal to noise.
The best JL and RF amps are only specified at 70-80.
A hint to help save $$, while still enjoying quality amplification: Look into "budget" brand marine amplifiers. Since all marine amplifiers must be 3rd party certified and meet minimum standards "budget" brands build comparable amplifier as any other brand to meet marine specifications. And will be the better built amplifiers found in most company brands. Furthermore, marine power cable (always use OFC copper) comes in more variations than car audio at 2 Guage not 4 Guage intervals.
Specs that almost *no one* talks about anymore are slew rate and damping factor. Dynamic headroom is another critical spec. And to me, those numbers are absolutely critical in judging an amp.
I still preach the inportance of slew rate to guys who claim they want a amp for a sq setup. And damping factor i know is supposedly not a factor in todays amp but im still old school and amps i like have a high dampening factor which is why i still love the kenwood KAC-1023 in a sq setup. And you woukd think dynamic headeoom wohld be important to everybody but most dont actually listen to real music to even really care about having reserve power for when the music has say a cannon fire.
@@ericperry72 the new Linear Power amps have like 7dB dynamic headroom. They're absolute beasts.
And your old 1023 is one amazing amp!
@@michaelbloom5342Hey can a get a link to those amps please?
I’m glad you mentioned efficiency. This was my main careabout when I looked at a 500w amp that wouldn’t tax my weak system.
Unless it's a crap brand, all the name brand class D amplifiers are going to be so close to each other that efficiency becomes irrelevant, even less so when it's only a 500w amp. 75% vs 80% is simply irrelevant.
@@marcuslinton310 in a world that’s exploring EV’s that come with weaker 12V systems… efficiency can matter.
Just one of the many important things that people overlook.
@@johnbcardin Not when it's within so few % of each other. 75% vs 85% is simply irrelevant in the grand scheme. You would need to be dealing with 10's of thousands of watts for it to begin to matter and at that point would it really? No, the electrics for such a system wouldn't ever be right on the edge of being just enough, they would always overbuild the electrics for something of that magnitude and 10% difference is irrelevant once again. I don't know what kind of system you can install in a typical EV, but I seriously doubt it comes down to a 10% difference whether or not you can install a certain amount of wattage.
My wife has had her MMATS 4k for over 8 years now beating on it every day. Very durable and excellent sounding
Good to know!
MMATS has consistently produced a good quality product over the years.
I currently have a MMATS Hifi4250 and could not be happier with it. I'm just as pleased with it as the day I bought it. ($1,300.00 retail, but I got it used for $90!) 250 × 4 @ 4ohms
400 × 4 @ 2ohms or 800 × 2 bridged 4ohms It is freakishly powerful, yet highly efficient while sounding phenominally great. It made all my othet amps it's bitch
Really solid video. Excellent advice for everyday people looking for excellent advice.
My favorite 5ch amp is the Kenwood Excelon 900/5. Very solid performance for a small footprint at a fairly reasonable price.
That is a good amp.
Kenwood makes good sounding amps, and I am quite fond of their in-dash units as well.
I’ve been installing for 25 years. I have a Profile California that I have used in various sets for 20 years now. 600 RMS mono. If you do your math. You can do just about anything with budget. I have done installations with class D and they tend to crap out over time. Class AB with a cap, if you need it, works well.
I remember those amps.
I was pushing 1000W RMS on my stock battery and alternator. I did upgrade wires though.
Infinity amps are great for the money, they're on sale on Crutchfield a lot and only advertise their RMS wattage.
I had actually included some info on Infinity in my script, but cut due to time. They are made by Harmon, who also owns JBL and they badge engineer their car audio. So always compare prices on the two and just buy the one that is cheaper .
I use taramps because of the clip light monitor you can run to the front .I tell people to buy them md 1200 for a stock and they are on a low budget single sub or two 500 rms subs ....now if you want better quality the jp amps because of that reason .. wish other company's would start making a monitor so they can run to the front like these brands ...yeah taramps isn't the best but they work and cheap they will last if took care of .....good video. Grab you a md 1200 and make a video alot of people will be surprised by the output ..
I love Audio Control's ACM-4.300 when going compact, their matching ACM monoblock lacks output so I usually push people in another direction for their sub(s).
I think you're right.
Audio Control, Marconi & U.S. Acoustics are just a few audiophile grade companies out there... If I had a brand new MB SLK... I would worry about the highline equipment... RECOIL has some super amps for the moola 👍😎 I concur with the Brazilians too
I recently purchased both the 511 Kenwood and the other Kenwood that matches it in size, both are good sounding and small footprint amps but they do get pretty hot, so I exchanged them for kicker 400 and kicker 3260 whatever the 4 channel is called, they do run cooler and that little cxa400.1 rattles my rearview at 10 o'clock but I do have a epicenter feeding it at 5 volts
What always amazes me is how confused somebody can be over what amp to buy, yet somehow believe they can install it all correctly themselves. If somebody believes they have the ability to install a full system, picking out the gear should be a no brainer.
That's a good point.
I was really glad to see Rockford and audio control on that list. Just because there not to many people over advertising them or over hyping there brand name. there also not tons of people sponsored by them but there are lot of people that use them and there really reliable. definitely brands that you get what you pay for. 💪🍻💯🎶🎶👍✌️
If I were to make a list of "good brands" it would be a very long video. I tried to limit myself to ones that I've had personal experience with or brands that stand out for some reason.
And NOT made in China! South Korea instead. China has too large of a black market industry allowing too many fake "copies" out there for sale. And little incentive for workers to "work smarter, harder or longer" since they don't see any more pay for either.
Very informative video. I'm debating between the JL Audio and Audio Controls 6 channel amps. They would be powering Hertz speakers with high sensitivity ratings around 94spl. Thanks
For me, it's (1) size, (2) efficiency, (3) controls, (4) cost that I use to determine the best amplifiers to fit my needs. Which is why I settled on the Alpine PDX series of amplifiers many years ago... :-)
Those are good amps.
Very good video, lots out there to choose from and a ton of people looking for guidance on this topic 👍
Hopefully we can educate some people!
If you had a 150W rms component speaker set (6.5 woofer and 1 tweeter) and chose to run it Active, what power rating should the amp(s) be?
I have two kicker L7 Solo-Baric hooked up with a isolator and two batteries on a 3300 watt hifonics amp what do you what is the best cheap power amp lol in a 92 two door Blazer
Add fuses then multiply by the supply voltage. Usually 12.5-14 which can be tested with a multimeter under load
Then adjust for efficiency. If you're running at 14.4 volts and you have a 75% efficient amplifier and you've got a multiplier of 10.8, which isn't too far off from 10.
@@DIYAudioGuy you might be right. I figured the efficiency losses were downstream from the fuses but I may be wrong.
I know u get Tom’s of questions. I just got two JL Audio 12in subs in an enclosure what amp would work with them? Thank you
same here....had a Jensen but I think they installed cheap wires and RCA jacks....I think the gauge of the wired and type of RCA jacks are important
What is your opinion on the old vintage 1990's amps. Like the old Phoenix Gold Titanium with the fans and blue triangle LEDS... I know the new amps are a lot more efficient and smaller but as far as sound quality. I have heard the old amps have a "warmer" or better sound. I do know amps that old often need the caps replaced on the board but was curious you opinion...
I have 1 10 skar evl and a skar 15.1 Amp 1500 watts running out factory head unit but it do well in my 2014 ford escape
D4S only give one measurement for SNR 95db at rated power I'm assuming, I'm not playing my music at full rated power. I'm buying an amp that lists both a measurement at 1 watt and at rated with a more typical 50wpc rms level where I know I will be listening at regularly or pretty close. Without proper testing who knows though.
I'd take a clean 98%s2nratio@500watts than 5000watt@90%S2N.....clean sound with correctly wired and impedance....proper setup@matched components works best!
Much needed for “Neebies” buying 10K+watt amps on factory electrical system! “Great Video!”#🔊❤@DIY AUDIO GUY
I have no infotainment system or USB in my car, but it does have speakers. Are there any amps that could connect directly to the speakers of my car or the wire harness and provide charge and AUX through a single USB-C cable to my phone so I can play music? I’ve always used my phone as my infotainment/stereo system anyways so it seems silly for my to buy an infotainment system just so my Amplifier can be plugged into it.
Got a question for you on power draw on different amps for example down4sound
JP95t five channel amplifier does this use a lot more power than an NVX vad 11005 five channel lamp
Down4 sound amps
Seem to be very strong power
The jp95 has the capability to put out a whole lot more power. So it's going to draw more current. A good way to figure it out for yourself is to just look at the fuse rating. If it's got a bigger fuse then it's designed for more current.
If you are asking which one's more efficient, I do not know.
Between the two I would pick the jp95.
Great video, thanks! How about discussing best practices when adding after market audio gear to electric cars? Every day there is more of these on the road and there are obvious/not-so-obvious things to consider. 😀
I don't mess around with electric cars.
If you do that, then suddenly the limitations of EV start becoming very apparent. And worse than audio is the impact of air conditioning on an EV's range - something never talked about. My buddy rented a Tesla for a Ohio to Florida trip and back. The EV added over 5 hours to the trip, one way. Due to the length of time recharging compared to refueling (did you know generators are used to charge EV vehicles?) but he said running the air on high (which you need to do because Tesla's having a plexiglass roof that always allows sun into the cabin) reduced the range of the vehicle by 40 miles or so. It only had the OEM stereo, which wasn't much. But he figured if you upgraded the stereo you'd see another 20-40 miles taken off the range of the vehicle. Apparently, headlights don't seem to impact the range so much he said. Guess they are more efficient. So now, Yeah I'd say you will see car stereo competitions fade away if there are only EV vehicles. To help I'd say make sure to only buy Class D amplifiers if you have an EV vehicle. And be happy with "less stereo" than you can have with combustion engines. Which by the way really don't pollute very much thanks to technology today. Fuel injection and catalytic converters have reduced a car's pollution by like 70-80% from before without those devices. I think EV's and regular cars should be offered and let the consumers decide. Both have pluses and minuses which is why both should be allowed on the road.
hey i got an amp but can't find any information on it. are you able to help me out
That *MAX POWER* gets me every time
? I connected a 1988 MGT 2200 amplifier full range no crossover into two dual coil subwoofers doesn't sound that great is that because subwoofers are only made for low frequencies? This 1988 MGT 2200 amplifier used to push to 15 inch evm back in the 80s and 90s and used to make your nose vibrates should I get a crossover or should I get rid of the subwoofers and add some 12-inch EVMS to my 2014 Silverado I need some sound advice from you sir thank you
You need a crossover.
Hello, I'm confused between JL JD400/4 or Alpine S2 A36F and both are class D 4 channel amps that i will be buying for my Blam relax component and Coax speakers
These?
howl.me/ckXC3G65rEa
howl.me/ckXC4e6LkxG
You cannot turn around for the difference. Both will do just fine.
Great video Justin 😊
Joined your Patreon a few days ago keep up the great work 😁
Awesome! Thanks!
Diamond audio 1000.1 extremely efficient and a very high dampening factor.I own 4 of them ...JBL class A 1000.1 same thing i own 2 of them... Efficiency is a key factor for me and my builds
Those are top-notch amplifiers.
is Diamond still around? i had a set of 2-ways from them like 20 years ago. they were solid.
@mikestivers8302 yes diamond audio is still around...I will say there quality in my opinion is not what it used to be but they are still good..I would never pay full price for them but with a good discount u get a really good deal on good equipment
Another thing people overlooked besides the size of the amp is the power consumption
Good point!
Only thing I would have added is the amperage load from 1000 watts for the stock electrical. Some vehicles have more overhead than others, and if not being used... well you see what I am saying.
True.
I am new to car audio and was planning on replacing my factory stereo. Should I also replace my factory amp, and if I don’t what will happen?
Yes, the speakers play loud enough with the factory amp. But it does lack the bass. Thank you for the help!
Just door speakers and dash tweeters.
Okay, sounds good. I have briefly checked Crutchfield, and have thought about installing a loc to get the signal for the amp. Thanks for the help.
I need a "Max Power" t shirt!
I think so.
How the SQ on the NVX amps for Highs and Mids? I know that there subs and speakers have a great reputation for being SQ . My issue is that I had a NVX 1000.1 amp that turn off pop that I could never get rid of. Eventually I had to replace the amp. Switch to kicker and never had a issue.
Turn off pop is never fun.
@@DIYAudioGuy Had a Alpine no issues.
Switch to the NVX BECAUSE I NEEDED 1000 RMS BECAUSE I UPGRADED FROM 110 INCH SUBWOOFER TO TWO
Getting turn off pop no matter what I did. I went as far as buying a relay that you can program to turn off what amplifier or what DSP in order before I hooked it up. I found a great deal on an open box kicker, CX1200.1 after that turn off, pop went away
Hate to say it, but I just think it’s from a more cheaply made amplifier
Sad because the NVX amp I had put out a good clean sound, and definitely did. It’s rated power.
But now it makes me question there other amps
It makes me question every cheap amplifier out there
I know their subs especially the version threes have been getting rave reviews and I wish they made a three-way component system
But I think I’ll stick to alpine high resolution amps for mids and highs for now on
Great video, discount code does not work for NVX amps.
I no longer recommend NVX.
@@DIYAudioGuy any specific reason?
Dude! You were wearing a Kicker shirt but never mentioned their amplifiers...
They were in the script, but cut for time.
A good brand is luxman they have some good amps for beginners at great prices😊😊
Ever heard of them, I'll have to check them out.
Good video! If I have component speakers in my dash, front doors, and rear doors, would it be of any benefit to have each speaker on a separate channel from an amplifier, or would it be fine just to keep the dash and front door speakers on the same channel as they come wired from the factory radio?
I would have to know more to answer.
You will always benefit with separate channels. When you combine two speakers together, you will have a crossover board that splits the signal and power, which means you have less control of how much power each speaker gets. With separate channels you can adjust the frequency points and gain for each specific speaker in order to tweak it perfectly to your listening preferences.
@@DIYAudioGuy I have all Kicker DS series speakers in my doors and dash. I currently have 3.5” in the dash, 6x9s in the front doors, and 6.5” speakers in the rear doors. I am also running (2) 12” subwoofers under my rear seat. This is in a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500. I just swapped out my factory radio for an android radio that has a subwoofer output and a left and right RCA output. I am currently running the dash and door speakers off of the radio and using the subwoofer RCA output to my amp that is powering the subs. Does this help? I’m not sure what else you want to know. I don’t plan on SPL competitions, I just want a nice sounding system that I can crank up the bass when I want.
The question stems from the fact that the dash speakers seem to overpower the front door speakers currently and they are ran in parallel to the head unit right now. Would it be better to run them individually off of an amplifier on separate channels?
@@DIYAudioGuy I miss spoke earlier. I have coaxial speakers in my doors and dash.
@@JasonWW2000 Thanks for the help!
Hi what do you think if JBL amps? The A6002. I need an amp that can deliver good sound quality then power. Any suggestions?
JBL is great, made by Harmon. Here is a pro tip. Harmon also owns Infinity. So when shopping look to see if the Infinity version is cheaper than the JBL version and vice versa.
what about ct sounds 4 channel amps?
I have not tried them.
I got a kenwood KAC-M5024BT bluetooth amp. and having trouble getting it and the boss 660BTGB stereo in my car working at same time. Can u use bluetooth amps with car stereos?
No, the amp is designed to stream from your phone using bluetooth. It's the kind of feature that you need if you have a classic car and you don't want to change the dash but you need to upgrade the audio.
I'm sure someone out there has a way to make it work, but I have no idea what that would be.
@DIYAudioGuy what I don't get is they connect to each thru aux but when I put the head unit is set to AuX, it see that their is music playing on the amp but doesn't play it thru the car speakers.
@@rokbeast4291I'm not a very good troubleshooter. I need to actually have my hands on the equipment to figure out what's going on.
Also, do you have any thoughts on using a DSP or just having individual channels from amplifiers to each speaker and setting the individual volume levels on the amps to get the sound level you want?
DSP makes it much easier. Plus you get extra features like time alignment.
@@DIYAudioGuy in my opinion time alignment isn’t a big issue because you take the speed of sound and the distance it has to travel inside the vehicle. You are talking about a difference of 1/10 of a millisecond. Not distinguishable to the human ear. Not bashing DSP but most people won’t need them unless you’re dealing with many speakers in a huge build you’d see at a spl competition
@@brianwaller7383 Facts, right? People won't like hearing that about DSP because everyone claims to have high fidelity ears these days and can pinpoint every single note of every single instrument being played in the music. LOL! Then, the first thing they do is bust out their phone, connect it to the stereo and start playing mp3's with their tweaked out DSP system.
@@DIYAudioGuy Thanks. I believe I would like to try a DSP with enough outputs to control my speakers individually which would require 6 channels for mids/highs as my door and dash speakers are all coaxial speakers and a separate channel for the subs. Maybe this would make it sound the best.? Any thoughts?
@@JasonWW2000 And here we are, our first crybaby! Brian was talking about time alignment, genius. I know you're ears are practically Vulcan level sensitivity, Mr. 2000, needing audiophile, competition perfection at it's absolute peak, so nobody would ever be able to compete with the level of awesomeness you can achieve in your vehicle with getting that 0.00000001 difference in time alignment so that one little note that changes the song 100000000% from garbage to audiophile level is sure to stand out now that the time alignment has been set to utter perfection.
My point of view is that you don't actually need 1000rms. Well planned and well built 250 rms amp with right sub does the job well afcourse with right tinkering. 1000 rms is more for vans and to show off. Killing your audio and ears is like over coocked meat ( nobody wants it).
Most of my systems have been under 1,000 watts total power across the entire system.
@@DIYAudioGuy My old car had a stock system with one "RADIOTEHNIKA S90" as the main bass. 35/90w made a very good boom, but the damn thing was too big for a trunk.🤣
My problem with BOSS and others like them isn't the false numbers as much as their prices don't reflect the actual numbers. You more per watt and that sucks.
True.
Add the fuses then multiply by 10? You should add your fuses then multiply by 14.1 or what ever your alternator is supplying the amp with. That's the max the amp can put out other wise it would blow the fuse. So rms would be way lower.
That only works if the amp is 100% efficient. After you adjust for efficiency x10 gets very close.
I need one for e60 ? it has a 180 alternator and 80A battery
I am not sure what an e60 is, I think it is a BMW? That is a really big alternator, it has to be big to power all of the luxury car bells and whistles. So even though your alternator can pump out enough juice for a 1,500 watt amp with no problem part of that power is going to be used by the car.
@@DIYAudioGuy Yes its a bmw 5 series ..... the stock sound it's nice but it's not powerful, it has 6 speakers, 4 are for medium-high range and 2 are subwoofers placed under the front seats and i was thinking to upgrade also those speakers and i need a amplifier also
@@smamas114 it sounds like some upgraded speakers and amplification is what you need. You probably need a real subwoofer in the trunk. BMWs are complicated machines I'm going to recommend that you find a local shop that's worked on a 5 series.
Thanks!
Thank you!
I disagree with a few things in this video. First and foremost, not all amps are created equal- even if the spec sheet shows it does. For full range, multichannel amplifiers, the chipsets on board will determine sound quality. Class AB is much less efficient but typically are better sounding than Class D. And brand does matter if you get away from SPL brands.
Quality Content as Always
Thanks!
@@DIYAudioGuy amp cooling?
I do not agree with fuse times 10. Better method is voltage times fuse rating time efficiency of the class of amplifier. Class a ,ab, and d are common along with associated ratings. There is no magic design or devices that will alter efficiency or design rating among classes. Of course than you just oover fuse...
After you adjust for efficiency the fuse x 10 method is surprisingly accurate.
That is a great 5 channel amp. Too many don't have really high output for the sub'(s) realtive to the front/rear channels. This one pumps out all you need, front, back and for the BASS! (and I actually, I do have one of those 3500 watt high end systems). That said, building my grandsons system, this 5 channel would have been nice!
The next time I do an install on a kid's vehicle I'm going to use a 5-channel. If for no other reason just to save money on distribution blocks.
The whole idea behind a 5 channel amp is to have an easy way to install a balanced system. Having extreme bass over the full range is not balanced, it's simply a preference that many people like and so you need to get separate amps to accomplish that.
@@JasonWW2000 WTF are you talking about? I literally said 5 channel amps are an easy way to install a balanced system. If you want extreme bass, usually have to get separate amps for that type of system. What is the problem?
@@JasonWW2000 Where exactly did I say that? So no!
@@marcuslinton310 That's not correct. Balance, as is everything, is relative. Balance and flexibility come from knowing how to utilize what you have to begin with, efficiency matching, etc. You can't have "too much" power when matching subs to the full range speakers but you can definitely have too little. Having 100 to 200 x 4 with smaller drivers that are inherently more efficient (louder relative to bass output) is the easy part. Getting the sub(s) to play up to that level is more dificult, especially in budget/location restricted installs. There are far more significant reason to go with separates when cost and installation limitations are not a factor. You're much more likely to blow a sub trying to get it to play up to the other speakers in the system if you have marginal wattage for the sub channel as opposed to power to spare. When it comes to BASS amplification, more power is always preferable. When practical, your amplifiers should always exceed your speaker ratings (to a degree) in all applications. Having to dumb down the gains on the mains so the subs can keep up is not my idea of balanced ( which is the compromise I usually see in 5 channel amplifiers). This amp gets you there or close without going to separates. The NVX 5 channel would be the next best option unless price is the main concern.
Man I'm having a hell of a time deciding on a new amp. So for the last 12 years I've had my soundstream picasso mono 2000 class D which has consistently powered my soundstream T5-12 dvc 2 ohm subs. I know the pro opinions on soundstream isn't the greatest but that setup has been great for me and bass quality has been impressive atleast to me and everyone I've let hear my system. The only reason I'm in the market is bc over the years my speaker output terminals and power wire input has melted to the point where my connections are quite rigged at this point lol. So I grabbed a soundstream t1.4000d thinking it would be basically the same with a little more power but I have it cranked way up past my normal levels and it just isn't doing it for me. I'm considering grabbing the t1.6000d version which can run .5 ohm stable which in my mind means I can get more power but with the gain up only halfway (based on dyno tests I've seen it will do about 4000 watts at .5 and I only need about half that). My budget right now is about $300 so that one seems like it would be a perfect fit. I'm just bombarded with so many options right now I don't know where to begin. I'm really liking what I'm seeing about wolfram but they're way out of my current price range and seem to be hard to find anyway. I'm just kinda stuck on soundstream just bc they've been the best I've ever had and lasted such a long time. Kind of wishing I bought 4 ohm subs so I could wire to 1 ohm. Running 2 ohm seems to lack the power I need and .5 ohm stable really makes amp options limited and I'm nervous I'm gonna blow some shit running that low even tho the soundstream says it can run it stable. Nothing is really catching my attention or fitting my budget so I just don't know. I'm super rusty on what's what these days all I know is I've never liked Rockford, boss , kicker, Sony, skar looks trashy and JL has always been way overpriced but that opinion is based on pretty much nothing lol. Man IDK 🤷♂️
I recommend the Down 4 Sound amps because they make their power (plus some if your electrical is up to the task), they look awesome, they have a great bass knob, and they are reasonably priced.
good video ... wearing a kicker shirt & not even mentioning them - lol
I like Kicker.
I only need to know if i ca use my premium stereo subwoofer for a single for another amp to add another sub. But would also like to keep the 8in 2ohm subwoofer in the stock location. Will a loc work with only one lead from a subwoofer for signal ??? And can i just run a wire from that sub to the loc so i can keep that sub working also ???
It's hard to answer a vehicle specific questions like that. I need to measure the output to make sure that you can do it. Personally I would not try to retain the factory sub, your aftermarket sub is going to be a whole lot better.
@@DIYAudioGuy from what I've learned the stock amplifier is a total of 350w for all 7 speaker's, 2 tweeters, mids an rear deck speakers, plus sub. I've read the kicker loc can take up to 400w. So if I unhook the sub and wired it in the loc it prolly be OK you would think ???
@@JasonWW2000 I've researched the head unit and it looks like it only sends a pos, an negative for front left an right, and rear left and right. It's a 07 honda civic si with navigation premium system. And the amps under my drivers seat. I've heard it runs at 2ohm for all speaker's, but haven't seen that anyway in my research. All tho Crutchfield shows a 2ohm subwoofer replacement for the subwoofer. I was worried it mite affect the high-level input of a amp hence y I considering a loc like kickers with the higher input voltage. Thank you for your response. I've had a hard time finding any info on doing this with a factory subwoofer.
@@JasonWW2000 the subwoofer has no voice coming out from the factory head unit from what I could tell. The head unit has a controller for the subwoofer itself to turn on and off an adjustment for level of how loud I want it. But don't see anything but regular signal going to the amp. Don't see even a control wire for the sub at all going in. I have saved wire diagrams for my whole system I've bin looking at trying to decide how I'd do this. It's bin a long few days and I'm still not 100% shore what to do. Lol 😂
@@JasonWW2000 this car means alot to me and I don't wanna to start a fire doing something stupid. I have some knowledge of car amplifier and such from the 90s as a teen, but things have got alot more advanced and it's not something I've completely learnt completely as a teenager. Lol again THANKS for any help u can give and have gave me already!!!!
Down4Sound JP amps!#JP8🔊❤️
Kenwood is iffy.....they are not quality. So glad you didn't promote crappy JL
Everybody has their favorite brands.
JL crappy.......yeah right 😂
They are junk. Rather have boss than JL
There was a time when consumers paid for quality rather than a brand name. Today, quality has become academic, and is no longer practical. Sadly, we have been invaded by MASS-FI, fueled by global deflation. Back in the day, one percent THD was totally acceptable, and it didn't really became annoying until around 2-4% THD. Little do we know today that digital compression of audio, especially lossy formats like mp3, is the norm. You are hard pressed (no pun intended) to find decent vinyl LP albums anymore. And people were screaming "piracy" during the advent of fairly decent cassette tapes. Now we have WAV and lossless FLAC. The only way to _really_ hear music with minimal distortion is in a concert hall. Specs mean little these days, and numbers mean virtually nothing anymore. Take me back... ;(
Exactly what I just did….
the best amp is the one you can afford.
were i rich, i'd get something like Genesis. $4K for a 200 watt amp tho.. LOL. maybe in the next life.
I’ll pay for quality over watts per dollar every single day of every single week and on weekends.
A lot of people feel the same way.
I will not buy any amp that boasts max power over rms power. And I won’t buy an amp that won’t do rated rams power. I always look at dyno results when deciding which amp to buy.
Hopefully we can educate some people.
While it's cool to see dyno numbers on amplifiers, you never really see that in your applications. Big differences between static and resistive loads. After rise and so forth, you never really see rms power except occasionally. I've always used amplifiers with more power on tap than needed.... can always dial it back, but never can make up, for power that sn't there. Good video man.
@@Chuck_Sanders that’s they reason why I look at the uncertified numbers because it rates the power to clipping which most of us set the gains to just below clipping not 1% thd. That’s why I always go for amps that do 500-1000 rms over what the sub is rated for. To account for box rise and voltage drops
D'Amore
hey there, i dont agree with your statament, i am running a 5200W RMS on my Car, 130AMPS Stock alternator and its super solid, no voltage dropps during long periods of time playing as loud as my sistem can, no issues, so in real life the 500w amplifier Limits on Stock Alternator is not a thing, by the way i am running my regular 12v Battery, NO ISSUES !!!, Thanks for the video man, just be more realistic regarding what your saying and proof it, cause i can proof what i am saying for sure, Regards !!
At best your alternator can provide 1872w at 14.4 so unless you have a huge battery bank that you have no volt drops pulling 5200rms on a stock like 90ah battery is total bullshit fyi 5200w/14.4=361.1amp your welcome
@@1philiphyup he may feel he hitting hard clamp that amp and see its not producing full power and begging for more
MAX POWER
MAXX POWER!
Brand kinda does matter, look into Crunch amps, they are completely garbage.
If you follow the tips in the video you can easily sus out which brands are garbage. That is far more useful than just memorizing which brands are good vs bad.
🙌🙌🙌🙌
👍
I won't even consider an amp if it doesn't have a clip light
I've been leaning in that direction. I've got all the equipment I need to set game, but if there's a clip light life is so much easier.
Same here, would never buy an amp these days where the bass knob didn't have a clip indicator. I'm starting to think even full range amps need a similar knob that you can mount remotely so you know real time whether or not it's clipping as well.
@@JasonWW2000 Yeah, we know you have spock ears, an audiophile perfectionists who has trained his ears to utter perfection, so nobody will ever match your insane level of audio installation perfection. Not even a computer can match your abilities. All bow to the master of car audio, Jason.
We are just piss ant car audio losers who like our pathetic clip indicators because we aren't expert level top audiophile enthusiasts like Jason who can tune to perfection and max out his audio to 99.999999% of it's power simply by his Spock ears after 30 years of training them to perfection. He don't need no stinkin clip lights. LMFAO!
Nobody "NEEDS" clips lights, genius, it's just another F'n tool that makes life easier when just cruising down the F'n road and want to blast your stereo and not clip it. Turn the F'n bass knob and if the light hits back it off a tad and you're all set. I know that's just to ghetto for you though, so don't F'n use em and just STFU.
Those Down 4 Sound amplifiers are crap. Basically, noisy, poorly built Chinese junk.
Teampie all day baby! Taramps if you like full bridge 🌉
I'm sorry, but maxxsonic amps are not forgiving, I've personally know people. That said one day that got in their car, and nothing, no bad fuse no bad remote lead just nothing. Remember the cheep always comes out expensive. Epsilon and what they did to our great American made amps like ppi crossfire just to name a couple of use to be great amps are over fused trash
I am not a fan of maxxsonics or epsilon.
Amen 🙏 ❤
These companies sold out. It's cheaper to manufacture stuff overseas. Those brands chose to sell the name to big corps, that merged the brands under conglomerates. I don't care for either, but Epsilon is a better build house. When did Crossfire use Epsilon? I know most of, if not all their amps are Korean. But I haven't really messed with Crossfire in years, except reconing some subs here and there for a few clients. I've seen many of their amps, and they're built quite well.
@@Chuck_Sanders you are absolutely right crossfire is a Korean board,i got the two mixed up because back in the 90's they both had the white heatsink, art series and crossfires flag I meant soundstrem phonex gold. But I can tell you that crossfire is a shadow of it's once former glory
So sound dont matter for you? Only the amp power ? Most the time cheap amps have poor sound quality.
All watts sound the same.
Myth. Only difference in cheap like a taramps is the filters ..now if you have a headunit like a excelon kdc x304 it has the xover built in so you can lower the lpf down lower of need be .....
@@alconyers2003 you've obviously never heard of the ten thousand-dollar amplifier challenge.
@@alconyers2003sound quality is a totally subjective matter. What you think sounds better to you, may not sound as good to another.
Cheap amps have poor sound quality because they are cheap amps that can't provide the actual power they claim. A BOSS amp will perform great within it's real actual specs, not it's fake specs. If a BOSS amp says 500 watts and it dyno's at 100... it will likely sound great at 75 watts. Try and push more, it will clip and crap out and likely sound terrible. This is the case with all amplifiers, even name brand.
However, the trend these days, is to claim 1,000 watts and push 1,300. It gives everyone a warm fuzzy feeling they are cheating the system when they really aren't, you are still paying for the 1,300. The rule still applies, you try pushing them over 1,300 consistently and bad things start to happen.
Play all equipment within proper specs and you'll have a hard time noticing any difference between them all. Everything tends to come down to power handling. How much power do you want and get equipment that handles a bit more then that. You want 2,000 watts, get gear that supports 2,500 and your 2,000 will sound great.